Klemen Širok

Background: University students experience increased psychological distress during academic transitions, yet modifiable lifestyle determinants of their subjective well-being remain incompletely understood within integrated analytical frameworks. Methods: A cross-sectional survey (N = 194 undergraduates; 52.6% women; M age = 21.9 years) used validated instruments: the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Body Appreciation Scale-2 Short Form (BAS-2SF), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and single-item measures of financial security and screen time. Physical activity (PA) was log-transformed (MET_log). Multiple simultaneous regression and structural equation modelling (SEM) were conducted. Results: Perceived stress was the strongest negative predictor of life satisfaction (B = −0.561, p < 0.001), while financial security was a significant positive predictor (B = +0.171, p = 0.023). SEM showed that body appreciation was associated with life satisfaction primarily through lower perceived stress (indirect effect = 0.107; consistent with indirect-only association pattern), while PA showed a significant direct association with life satisfaction (β = +0.143, p = 0.030), independent of the stress pathway. The indirect effect of PA via stress was not significant in the SEM. Model fit was acceptable (CFI = 0.951; RMSEA = 0.067). Conclusions: Perceived stress was statistically associated with the relationship between body appreciation and subjective well-being, while PA showed a direct statistical association with well-being that was independent of the stress pathway. Given the cross-sectional nature of this study, these findings suggest that university health promotion programmes may consider integrating positive body image and stress management components alongside PA promotion to support student psychological well-being.

Background/Objectives: Understanding the determinants of physical activity (PA) and health outcomes requires integrating environmental and motivational perspectives. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study tested a sequential model in which perceived sport infrastructure service quality enhances exercise motivation, which subsequently increases PA and leads to better self-rated health (SRT). Methods: A total of 546 recreational adult exercisers completed validated questionnaires assessing sport infrastructure service quality (SQAS), exercise motivation (MPAM-R), PA (IPAQ), and self-rated health. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the hypothesised relationships among variables. Results: The proposed sequential model was supported. Perceived service quality positively predicted exercise motivation (β = 0.255, p < 0.001), motivation significantly predicted PA (β = 0.266, p < 0.001), and PA was positively associated with self-rated health (β = 0.115, p < 0.005). Model fit indices indicated a good and acceptable fit to the data (CFI = 0.947, TLI = 0.935, NFI = 0.914, GFI = 0.931, RMSEA = 0.072, SRMR = 0.067, χ²/df = 3.85). Conclusions: The findings underscore the importance of high-quality exercise infrastructure as a key environmental factor that supports motivational engagement and promotes healthier behaviour patterns. Interventions aimed at increasing PA and improving perceived health should address both environmental quality and motivational processes.

This article provides a systematic review of the role of social capital in employability models. Although social capital is recognized as a key resource in employment and society, its role in academic research on employability is frequently neglected. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this systematic review reveals an underrepresentation of social capital within employability models, as empirical studies do not attribute the same significance to it as observed in everyday life. The analysis found social capital was identified as a determinant in only 16 out of 47 empirical employability models. In less than half of these models, social capital is included as an independent variable, while, in the remaining models, it is incorporated within another explanatory factor. Notably, only in four models are all three dimensions of social capital (structural, cognitive, relational) included. This raises questions about the validity of existing employability models, emphasizes the necessity of social capital inclusion, and calls for future empirical research. Fostering social capital in employability is pivotal for the economic and social sustainability of aging societies, as it mitigates labor shortages, ensures fiscal stability, supports innovation, and enhances social sustainability through inclusivity and intergenerational equity.

This cross-sectional study was part of a comprehensive workplace health promotion program (WHPP) implemented in the work environment of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Western Slovenia, which included web-based educational campaigns aimed at promoting positive lifestyle changes among workers, including healthy eating habits and physical activity. As part of this program, which included campaigns in the areas of stress management, ergonomics, sleep hygiene, communication, work climate, and absenteeism, we developed and examined the engagement frequency in web-based content on healthy eating and physical activity for the companies included in the WHPP. This part of the project lasted from 2020 to 2022. Prior to the educational campaign, participants voluntarily completed a screening questionnaire. We analyzed the patterns of 370 workers in terms of their job classification (predominantly sedentary, predominantly standing, or predominantly physical), body mass index (BMI), gender, age, and selected indicators of diet and physical activity. Of the 88 companies participating in the WHPP, 26 took part in our web-based educational campaigns on nutrition and physical activity. Through an empirical analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics and a linear regression, we found that, on average, the engagement frequency (i.e., proportion of educational personal e-mails read) was highest among men with sedentary work, with older employees participating more actively than expected. Moreover, workers with good dietary habits and a favorable BMI proved to be the most avid readers of the web-based campaigns. Despite the overall low participant engagement frequency, it is clear that web-based educational campaigns are more appealing to workers with sedentary jobs and good dietary habits. This study provides valuable information on the potential effectiveness of appropriate workplace health promotion campaigns for SMEs and public health practices.

Workplace health promotion programmes (WHPPs) are among the most important measures to improve the health and motivation of the ageing workforce. However, they are accompanied with certain challenges, such as low participation rates and higher participation levels of the more health-conscious workers, often failing to engage those who need such interventions the most. Following the PRISMA guidelines, this scoping review examined participation rates reported in articles on WHPPs to identify potential knowledge gaps. The results are worrying: participation rates are not only infrequently reported, but also low. Of the 58 articles, 37 report participation rates, with the majority (20) reporting an average participation rate of less than 50%. Reported participation rates refer either to different target groups, the type of intervention, or to single points in time, which makes it difficult to establish consistent criteria for comparison. We argue that despite the importance of WHPP efficacy, research focus should shift to the determinants of participation, as well as the issue of standardising the reporting of participation rates, alongside the potential problem of reporting bias.

The free movement of services, one of the four fundamental freedoms of the European Union’s (EU) internal market, allows companies to post their employees to other EU Member States. In Slovenia, the concept of cross-border posting became relevant after the country joined the EU in 2004. The number of posted workers in Slovenia has been growing steadily since then and is among the highest in the EU. An increase in postings has also been observed in the EU as well. One of the main reasons for the rapid increase in the number of workers posted to wealthier EU countries is the accession of ten new Member States in 2004, with significant differences in living standards between the ‘new’ and ‘old’ Member States. Focusing on Slovenia, an important reason for Slovenia’s high numbers of posted workers is also its proximity to the countries of the former Yugoslavia and the strong migrant flows from these countries to the EU via Slovenian companies. As a result, the number of workers posted from Slovenia to other EU Member States has been one of the highest in the EU over the past decade.

Background: Premature death, chronic disease, and productivity loss can be reduced with the help of programs that promote a healthy lifestyle. Workplace health promotion programs have been shown to be an efficient way of improving employee health. These can also benefit employers by improving retention, reducing worker turnover, and lowering healthcare costs. In Slovenia, a workplace health promotion program called “STAR-VITAL—Joint Measures for the Vitality of Older Workers” targeting small- and medium-sized enterprises has been ongoing since September 2017. We hypothesize that this workplace health promotion program will yield long-term health changes for the included employees and employers. Methods/Design: The manuscript presents a workplace health promotion program design that introduces some novel approaches and solutions to workplace health promotion program implementation. It also introduces a measurement of their effects that address the problem of low participation rates and the effectiveness of workplace health promotion programs, as follows: (1) the multifaceted and individualised approach to implementation, (2) customer relationship management (CRM) -based interaction management with program participants, and (3) impact evaluation based on employee health and labour market data observing both intermediate outcomes and the final outcomes based on national micro administrative data. Discussion: Although the novel approaches introduced with the STAR-VITAL program proved to be effective during the COVID-19 pandemic, they deserve the attention of scholars and practitioners. Further research is called for to further explore the potential of CRM in health promotion contexts, the effectiveness of multifaceted and individualised workplace health promotion program interventions, and micro administrative data-based impact evaluations. Conclusions: The STAR-VITAL program introduces several new approaches addressing the problem of low participation rates and the effectiveness of WHPPs. Further research is called for to discover and explore the potential of those novel approaches.

Education often struggles to keep up with the pace of changes in the global economy- and technology-driven world. This issue can be seen especially in the education of innovation management. Even if the current pace with which education in general is adapting to these changes remains the same, the intensifying change dynamics imposed by accelerating technological development, labor market changes, population aging, and environmental challenges will simply outpace the education system's adaptability. This chapter aims to identify and describe emerging trends that will most likely put additional pressures on innovation management education in the short- and mid-term. Based on the presented change-driving trends, a concept of a future-oriented innovation management course will be presented. Additionally, the hypothetical implementation of the innovation management course concept will be presented. In the conclusion, the challenges that innovation management education should address will be outlined and discussed. Request access from your librarian to read this chapter's full text.

Education often struggles to keep up with the pace of changes in the global economy- and technology-driven world. This issue can be seen especially in the education of innovation management. Even if the current pace with which education in general is adapting to these changes remains the same, the intensifying change dynamics imposed by accelerating technological development, labor market changes, population aging, and environmental challenges will simply outpace the education system's adaptability. This chapter aims to identify and describe emerging trends that will most likely put additional pressures on innovation management education in the short- and mid-term. Based on the presented change-driving trends, a concept of a future-oriented innovation management course will be presented. Additionally, the hypothetical implementation of the innovation management course concept will be presented. In the conclusion, the challenges that innovation management education should address will be outlined and discussed.